Glam rock icons Queen's Greatest Hits has topped a list of Britain's best-selling albums of the last 50 years.

The album has sold a staggering 5.8 million copies in the UK since it was released in 1981 - comfortably beating the best The Beatles could manage. The Fab Four's best effort, their 1967 release Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band has had to settle for second place, with sales of 5 million.

And Queen have managed a unique double - two albums in the top 10. Their follow up, Greatest Hits II, released in 1991, just a month before the death of lead singer Freddie Mercury, is number 10 in the new list.

The top 40 in full will be unveiled today Radio 2 by veteran DJ Tony Blackburn.

Blackburn said: 'This chart is a real mixed bag and I think listeners will be quite surprised. There are artists in there you would expect to see in a countdown of this nature but not necessarily at the positions that they are.'

The big surprise is the absence of The Rolling Stones in the top 40 - and Blackburn expected some other big names too.

He said: 'I was really surprised to see who hadn't made it in - no sign of the massively successful acts like The Rolling Stones, Elvis, Diana Ross or Marvin Gaye. Listeners are in for a real treat. There's something for everyone in the chart and it'll be the perfect way to spend the Bank Holiday Monday afternoon.'

Few will be shocked to see Adele feature in the list, but the fact her sophomore album 21 is in sixth place, is an incredible achievement.

The album recently earned Adele the Album of the Year Grammy Award and has sold more than 4.5 million copies in the UK.

There was also space in the top 20 for another British solo singer, the late Amy Winehouse - whose 2006 album Back To Black sits in 12th place.

Meanwhile, Queen expert Kevin Goodwin isn't surprised the band are still topping the charts.

Mr Goodwin, who performs in tribute band The Bohemians explained their enduring appeal. He told The Independent: 'They have got such a wide range of music. If you look through the catalogue, there are about 140 to 150 songs, and it ranges from hard rock to dance, funk and almost classical.'